For some reason, a steady stream of questions has been flowing through my mind and heart lately. Here’s the latest:
If I kept doing what I’m doing today—if I kept on being the same person I am right now—talking, deciding, praying, trusting, loving, investing, retreating, faltering, fearing, and doing life just like this—who would I be, where would my life be in five years’ time? And would I be pleased with that?
I’m reminded of a business maxim that states, “Your system is perfectly designed to get the results you’re getting.” Which reminds me of the tongue-in-cheek definition of insanity: doing the same things over and over again while expecting a different outcome.
Don’t answer the questions yourself. Get a piece of paper out, with a nice pen, and lay them out before God. Then write down what he lays on your heart.
Next questions: Where do I want to be in five years? What do I want my life to look like, my relationship with God to be like? What does God want it to look like?
Again, make this a prayer thing. Write down your thoughts and impressions.
Last question: Lord, what should I do about it? If God gave you a job description for the next five years, how would it be laid out? What would it include? Leave out?
Big questions, tough answers, I think.
Peace!
This is really good thoughtful stuff, the problem I see is this: Perhaps I don’t want to know what the next 5 years will mean for me. Would I fear it if I knew? Would I want to run? Would I embrace it if I knew?
I am 56 so five years from now I will be 61 and retired fully. Will my health be ok? will my husbands? what about my children or grand children? Will my parents be alive or others who I know and love? Will I pursue writing my book?
Will the Lord come and I won’t have to worry about it? so much to think about.
Mmmmm, also great questions! Maybe the heart of the ones I posed had more to do with qualities of the heart and less to do with the actual landscape of our lives. I could have made that more clear. But I love how you think! 🙂